Residents celebrate official demolition of Osteopathic Hospital

Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times
Preschool children at the Primera Iglesia Bautista Day School sit across from the vacant Osteopathic Hospital on Tarlton Street as Del Mar College holds a ceremony to signify the beginning of demolition of the building on Tuesday. The college, which acquired ownership of the property, doesn’t yet have plans for what will come after the building is torn down but has said removing the building will help improve the neighborhood.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times
Del Mar College officials, community members and neighborhood workers attend a ceremony Tuesday outside the vacant Osteopathic Hospital on Tarlton Street to signify the beginning of demolition of the property. Del Mar College, which acquired ownership of the property, doesn’t yet have plans for what will come after the building is torn down but has said removing the building will help improve the neighborhood.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times
A ceremony was held Tuesday outside the vacant Osteopathic Hospital on Tarlton Street to signify the beginning of demolition of the property. Del Mar College, which acquired ownership of the property, doesn’t yet have plans for what will come after the building is torn down but has said removing the building will help improve the neighborhood.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times
Eddie Flores, a maintenance worker at Del Mar College, speaks about the vacant Osteopathic Hospital on Tarlton Street as Del Mar College holds a ceremony to signify the beginning of demolition of the building on Tuesday. “This is my neighborhood,” he said. “We can’t wait to have this building down.”

Thomas Gomez said he used to enjoy taking his daily walk down Tarlton to Baldwin Boulevard and around Del Mar College.

But after the hospital was foreclosed in 1990, Gomez said his walks became less frequent.

“The building was overcome with grass and tree limbs and I would have to walk in the street,” Gomez said. “I’m glad the building is being torn down now.”

The owners of the hospital owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes to Del Mar College, the Corpus Christi school district, the city, Nueces County and the county hospital district.

Del Mar College acquired ownership of the hospital property in November after it was put up for auction in 2011.

Gomez said he hopes the college will use the land to build an extension of the school for technical programs.

“It wouldn’t want them to turn it into housing, but an addition to the school buildings, I would be happy with,” Gomez said.

Dr. Mark Escamilla, president of the college said the ceremony is the first step to eliminate dangers the empty hospital brought to the neighborhood.

“This area is the oldest neighborhood in the city,” Escamilla said. “We’re glad to help the community by clearing the property and the well being residents.”

Lupe Muñoz, said while the hospital was unattended it was broken into several times.

“I’ve lived behind the hospital for 45 years and ever since it’s been vacant, it’s made the neighborhood look bad,” Muñoz said. “

A 2011 fire inside the hospital was started using trash and old material from the building, causing minor damage and one of its wings was condemned.

Other residents said they are happy to have the eyesore gone from their neighborhood.

Paulina Gonzalez, director of Primera Day School for 21 years, said she was concerned for children who walked to Travis Elementary School.

“They would have to pass right by it to get to school and it was a dangerous area,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said she and the children will be happy to look at something nice for a change.

Escamilla said final plans for the almost 4 acres have not been finalized.

“We’re looking at how this land can meet the needs and resources of the college and how it will fit into our strategic planning over the next few decades,” Escamilla said. “Whatever we decide, we promise it will be educationally based as part of the college or a partnership with another educational entity.”

Dr. Lee Sloan, vice president of Administration and Finance at Del Mar said demolition will start in two weeks and cost less than $300,000.

“That will take care of the asbestos removal, taking up the asphalt and reducing the area to dirt,” Sloan said. “We’re committed to improving this community.”